Printing a hardcover edition of a book can be a great option whether you represent a mainstream publisher or you're an independent self-publishing author. But to make sure you get the best product and the best price, you need to know how to select your ideal hardcover book printer. Once you start looking into it, you'll soon discover that not all printing services are created equal.
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There are small local print shops, print brokers, international printing services, offset printers, digital printers… the list goes on. Not all of these can handle printing high-quality hardcover books. So, in the rest of this post, we'll look at what's involved in printing a hardcover book and how to evaluate a hardcover book printer to make sure you'll get an excellent product and first class service at a price to suit your budget.
Hardcover book printing is a fascinating process that involves several specific steps to make sure the result is the production of high-quality books. It begins with the preparation of the book's content and ends with the finished product polished and packaged and ready for distribution. The process typically includes the following stages:
Each step requires a series of artistic, professional, and technical decisions, along with precision and expertise, in execution to maintain the integrity of the final product. Understanding each important step in this process is essential for both mainstream publishing businesses and self-publishing authors to guarantee that you choose the right printing service for your needs and the successful creation of hardcover books that meet your standards of quality, aesthetics, durability, and price point. So, when choosing a hardcover book printer, always look for the full range of options and services that they have on offer.
You should choose an experienced professional offset book printer such as QinPrinting that can provide a reliable “one stop” service for all your needs, from design and formatting support to adding the finishing touches to a professional product.
Hardcover books printed by QinPrintingThe materials used in hardcover book production play a significant role in determining the book's overall quality and durability. Publishers and authors should choose a printer which has several options to choose from when it comes to selecting materials for their hardcover books. These should include a range of cover board, paper stock, cloth, coated paper, or leatherette for covering. Cover boards provide structural support and rigidity to the book's cover, while paper stock contributes to the readability and aesthetic appeal of the interior pages. Endpapers not only enhance the book's appearance but also provide additional strength and stability to the binding. The choice of materials depends on various factors, such as budget, aesthetic preferences, and intended use of the book. Always choose a book printer that can offer the widest possible selection of materials. At QinPrinting, we'll be happy to send you a comprehensive sample book for the cost of mailing it to your chosen address. If that interests you, find out more on our samples page or just get in touch to ask us for one.
Hardcover book printing can be achieved through different printing methods to reproduce text and images onto paper stock or other materials. The two primary printing techniques used for hardcover books are offset printing and digital printing. While digital printers can sometimes handle hardcover book production, it's not the method we'd recommend as — apart from the fact that it gets prohibitively expensive if you need a larger print run — the reproduction, materials, and special finishes that digital can offer don't match the range and quality of offset printing services.
Offset printing, also known as lithography, involves transferring ink from a printing plate to a rubber blanket and then onto the printing surface. It is ideal for large print runs and offers precise color reproduction and high-quality results. Digital printing, on the other hand, uses electronic files to transfer images onto paper or other substrates. It is suitable for short print runs and offers quicker turnaround times, but you sacrifice quality and choice for those advantages. Understanding the strengths and limitations of each printing method is essential for selecting the most suitable option based on your project requirements and budget constraints.
Prepress and proofing are critical stages in the hardcover book printing process that ensure accuracy, consistency, and quality throughout production. Prepress involves preparing digital files for printing, including tasks such as color correction, image retouching, typography and layout optimization. It makes sure that the final printed book meets your desired specifications and standards. Proofing, on the other hand, involves reviewing printed proofs of the book before mass production begins. It allows publishers and authors to identify and correct any errors or discrepancies in the content, layout, or color reproduction. Effective pre-press and proofing procedures are essential for minimizing costly mistakes and helping to guarantee the successful outcome of the printing project.
Designing a hardcover book is a creative and technical endeavor that requires careful consideration of various elements to produce a visually attractive, well-made, user-friendly product. Whether you're a publishing professional or a self-publishing author, drawing inspiration from diverse sources can help you conceptualize and execute a design that resonates with your readership. From classic design principles to innovative trends, exploring different avenues of inspiration can spark creativity and guide you in crafting a unique but genre appropriate aesthetic for your hardcover book.
The first stop is to examine all the covers and interior layouts of the bestselling books in your genre. Think about what they all have in common and what makes each unique. Look at images, color schemes, typography, content, layout, and make notes. You can use Google Books, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and, of course, your high street bookstore and your local library to help you with this research.
Once you have an idea of the kind of cover and interior layout you want for your hardcover book, write up your notes along with sketches and examples from your research. These you can use to guide your own creative design work or you can pass them on to your professional third-party designer to give them a precise idea of what you want them to create. If you choose to design your book yourself, you can download our free hardcover book templates from our templates page.
But to get you started, you might want to read our post, Book Cover Design Ideas, which focuses on twelve distinctive books that we have printed for our customers. Each cover comes with an explanation of the choices that were made and how the elements of the design combine to do their job.
Hardcover books printed by QinPrintingA successful hardcover book design is characterized by its ability to grab a potential reader's attention, encouraging them to pick it up and look inside while also communicating a clear message about the book's content. Key elements such as typography, layout, imagery, and color scheme play vital roles in shaping what we call the “visual identity” of a hardcover book.
Typography sets the tone for the text and enhances readability
Layout determines the flow and organization of content on each page
Imagery, including illustrations, photographs, and graphics, adds depth and context to the narrative
Color scheme evokes emotions and reinforces the book's theme.
Balancing these elements harmoniously is essential for creating a design that is both aesthetically pleasing and functional. Of course, this is the heart of book design: combining the artistic and creative aspects with the structural and functional dimensions of a physical, printed book. The two sides influence each other. So, for example, the weight of the paper that you choose, the number of pages, the format and the orientation of your hardcover book will dictate the area and shape of the front and back covers and the spine. The spine is often an overlooked area. It's not only printable but on a bookshelf, it's the first thing any potential reader will see. That's why it's so important to get all the elements right.
Selecting fonts, colors, and images that complement the theme and concept of your hardcover book is an essential part of creating a cohesive and impactful design. When you're choosing fonts, consider factors such as readability, personality, and compatibility with the book's genre and readership. Experiment with different typefaces and font pairings to find the perfect combination that enhances the overall aesthetic and readability of the book. For an in-depth guide to choosing and combining fonts in book design, read How to Choose the Best Font for Your Book.
Similarly, selecting a color palette that fits with the book's content and evokes the desired emotions in the reader can elevate the visual appeal of the design. In fact, if you examine bestseller covers in any genre, you'll soon see that a huge amount of thought has gone into choosing the color scheme. We took a deep dive into color psychology and how to exploit it to the most powerful effect in book design in our post, What Is the Most Attractive Color for a Book Cover?
Incorporating high-quality images, whether original artwork or licensed photographs, can add depth and authenticity to the book's narrative and content. Of course, not all books need interior illustrations or photographs. Most novels, for example, will only require cover art. But several popular and high-selling hardcover book types, such as coffee-table books, fine art and photography books, children's illustrated books, and most academic textbooks, put the visual element right up front as the core communication channel of the entire work; to which the text plays an auxiliary role. When selecting images, make sure they are coherent with each other and with the book's theme, working together to enhance the reader's experience rather than causing a distraction.
Hardcover books printed by QinPrintingFinishing and binding are the final stages in the hardcover book printing process, where the book takes its definitive form and finishes. These stages encompass a range of techniques and processes aimed at enhancing the durability, artistic appeal, and overall quality of the finished product. From selecting the right finishing options to understanding what's involved in the binding process, attention to detail and craftsmanship are paramount to achieving professional results.
Whether you choose us or another hardcover book printer to fulfill your orders, we strongly recommend that you look at several examples of previous projects and make sure that your printer has a deep practical understanding of what's involved in a successful hardcover book binding.
Hardcover books printed by QinPrintingThis is where the difference between the limited offer of a digital-only printer and the superior option of a professional offset printing company really shows. Any decent hardcover book printer should be able to offer you a wide variety of finishing options to add a touch of elegance and sophistication to the final product. Common finishing techniques include:
Gloss or matte laminations — these are varnishes which make the book more durable and add either shiny or soft sheen
Foil stamping — a process by which we apply a metallic foil design — either lettering, graphics, or both, to the surface of a printed sheet or book cover
Embossing — a mechanical process by which we “lift” a design — either lettering, graphics, or both, out from the surface of your hardcover
Debossing — a similar process to embossing, but in this version, we impress an image or letters into the paper
Spot UV coating — this uses ultraviolet light and a special varnish to highlight a particular element of the design and works best on a matte surface
Each finishing option offers unique opportunities for customization and personalization, allowing publishers and authors to create hardcover books that reflect their style and branding. So, make sure that your hardcover book printer makes these options available to you. We will! But you may still be wondering exactly what's involved in creating a professional hardcover book. So, let's walk through how we make a beautiful case bound volume.
Hardcover book binding, also known as case binding, is a traditional binding method commonly used for hardcover books such as coffee-table books, fine art and photography books, memoirs, nature and science books, and novels or anthologies of stories. This process involves several steps. Let's look at them now.
Assembling the book's pages into signaturesIn the printing and binding process, “signatures” refer to groups of pages that are printed on a single sheet of paper, which is then folded, trimmed, and bound together. These folded sheets create a small booklet-like section that, when combined with other signatures, forms the complete book. This method allows for efficient printing and ensures the pages are in the correct order when bound.
Sewing and gluing the signatures togetherAfter printing, the signatures are collated, meaning they are gathered and arranged in the correct sequence. They are then sewn together along the fold to create a secure and durable binding. Finally, the sewn signatures are glued along the spine to form the book block, which is the main body of the book, ready for cover attachment.
Manufacturing the hard casingThe hardcover casing is made by cutting sturdy cardboard to form the front and back covers, as well as the spine. These pieces are then wrapped in cloth, paper, or another covering material, and glued securely. The book block is then attached to the casing, completing the hardcover book assembly.
Attaching endpapers to the inside coversEndpapers are the sheets of paper that attach the book block to the front and back covers. They are glued to the inside of the covers and the first and last pages of the book block, securing the block to the casing. Endpapers provide added strength to the binding and can enhance the book's aesthetic appeal with decorative designs or colors.
Mastering the hard case binding process requires precision, attention to detail, and specialized equipment. Publishers and authors should take care when choosing a printing and binding service to make sure the operator is an experienced and knowledgeable hardcover book printer with the necessary expertise in the successful execution of this binding method.
The cost of printing hardcover books depends on several factors such as the size, paper type, black-and-white or color printing, number and complexity of illustrations and inserts, finishing options, and special features along with the number of books you print. With a digital printer — even if they offer basic hardcover binding — the costs per unit are fixed, so larger orders of 100 copies or more can get very expensive. With offset printing, the larger the quantities printed in a single run, the lower the cost per unit. For example, printing a 5.5" x 8.5" size and 248-page hardcover novel with us, with standard specifications, could cost:
Prices are EXW and exclude shipping costs.
Ordering more copies per print run reduces costs per copy, increasing profit margins. Even with a minimum order of 100 copies, profit per sale could range from $5 to $10 based on average US prices. Confident sales projections on higher volume runs could yield profits exceeding $20 per sale. For a detailed account of all the factors involved in calculating the cost of hardcover book printing with a reputable specialist hardcover book printer such as QinPrinting, read, How Much Does it Cost to Print a Hardcover Book?
Planning and execution of hardcover book printing projects. The average turnaround time for printing projects varies depending on factors, such as print quantity, complexity, and production schedule.
If you can find a digital printer capable of hardcover binding and you're not too worried about having optimal quality results, you may get quicker turnaround times compared to offset printing, making it a potential option for projects with tight deadlines or smaller print runs, expedited printing services may incur additional costs and there's no volume discount.
Offset printing, even though turnaround can be longer, is often better. After all, it's not that much longer! Just be sure to plan your project timeline effectively, coordinating with your hardcover book printer to ensure timely delivery of materials and allowing sufficient time for production, proofing, and shipping. By understanding the factors that influence turnaround times and implementing efficient project management strategies, publishers and authors can make sure that delivery falls well within their required schedules.
Budgeting and saving costs in a printing project require careful planning and consideration of various factors. While our mainstream publishing clients may have large budgets to spend on luxury special editions, we're committed to helping our independent and small press clients achieve the same high-quality results without breaking the bank. Any decent hardcover book printer should be willing to put their customer's needs above merely maximizing sales. Here are several options to help you keep costs down while still producing a beautiful hardcover edition.
By adopting a proactive approach to budgeting and cost-saving, publishers and independent authors can maximize the value of their investment and produce high-quality hardcover books within their budget constraints.
Before sending your hardcover book project to the printing press, it's essential to make sure that everything is in order. Here's a checklist to help you prepare your files:
Confirm that your files are in the correct format required by the printing company, typically PDF files with embedded fonts and high-resolution images.
Make sure that your design includes bleed and proper margins to prevent any content from getting trimmed during the printing and binding process.
Verify that your color settings are correct, which should be CMYK or Pantone for print to guarantee accurate color reproduction.
Thoroughly review your manuscript for any spelling or grammatical errors, as well as formatting inconsistencies, before finalizing your files. Even the best printer in the world (we're blushing!) can't proofread your text content for grammar, style, and spelling. We'll make careful technical checks, but the content is always the author's responsibility.
Take the time to review the specifications. Make sure that they align with your expectations and requirements.
Once you're confident that everything is correctly prepared, submit your order to the printing company, along with any specific instructions or preferences regarding printing and binding options.
When choosing a hardcover book printer, always make sure that they offer close personalized customer service and that you can contact a real person for expert guidance and advice. At QinPrinting, we take the quality of our customer service extremely seriously. For example, if you print with us, we'll assign a named expert printing consultant to you — someone you can get to know and trust and with whom you can build an active collaboration — to guide you step-by-step through the entire process from file preparation to final delivery and distribution. You'll be able to talk to them, ask questions, and get help via , a private chat, or via the and Skype.
If you are looking for more details, kindly visit Hardback Book Binding Service.
Hardcover books printed by QinPrintingPartnering with a reputable, experienced offset hardcover book printing company can streamline the hardcover book printing process and guarantee the best results. Here's what to look for:
Expertise and experience
Professional printing companies should be able to demonstrate their expertise and experience to handle complex printing projects and offer valuable advice and guidance throughout the process, along with examples of projects from their archives.
Access to resources
A good hardcover printer will have access to state-of-the-art equipment, materials, and technologies that may not be available to print-on-demand and digital-only services.
Quality assurance
Working with a reputable hardcover book printer should ensure high-quality results, from color accuracy and image resolution to paper stock and binding. Ask about these services and quality control protocols. For example, at QinPrinting we have developed a range of rigorous quality control protocols designed to make sure that all our products are printed to the highest standards and leave our facilities in perfect condition.
Customization options
An offset hardcover printing company that's any good should offer a comprehensive range of customization options, including finishing techniques, paper types, and binding styles, to meet the unique needs and preferences of each project.
Timely delivery
Choose a hardcover book printer like QinPrinting that prioritizes efficient production schedules and timely delivery to meet project deadlines and guarantee customer satisfaction.
Collaboration and customer service
A good printing company will establish clear communication channels right from the start, assign a knowledgeable consultant to you, and provide detailed project specifications and preferences to encourage and support a collaborative and successful partnership.
When selecting a printing company for your hardcover book project, consider factors such as reputation, portfolio, pricing, turnaround times, customer service, range and quality of materials, and technological capabilities. By partnering with a professional hardcover printer such as QinPrinting and following best practices for collaboration, publishers and authors can achieve exceptional results and bring their hardcover book projects to life with confidence and success.
Designing and printing an exclusive, high-end hardcover book either as a premium addition to your self-publishing strategy or as an independent business proposal is always a satisfying creative project which adds immense value to your portfolio of published work. Read more here or get in touch today to chat through your hardcover book printing needs or to ask for a no-obligation quote. We can't wait to help you make your custom hardcover book the most beautiful yet!
Bookbinding is continuously gaining popularity as a hobby and there are tons of courses as well as online tutorials available, and I love it. But of course those courses and tutorials don't cover everything, and just like with every craft there's sometimes a little need for troubleshooting. As a master bookbinder and a general nerd I've usually got answers, and for that purpose I started a little thing I call Instagram Office Hours where I answer everyone's questions about bookbinding (and whatever).
Not everyone uses Instagram and those Office Hours posts quickly disappear far into the archives, so to help you guys out I decided to put together a blog post about some of the questions I've answered so far. Most questions have come through Instagram, but there are also some that I get repeatedly asked via or in the comments of this blog. There's some repetition in my replies, but I left all that in because not everyone is going to read every Q&A anyway.
I've also written a couple of blog posts with some tips that could be helpful if you're struggling with bookbinding issues:
7 tips for more professional looking handmade books
tips and resources for beginner bookbinders
the best way to attach covers to a coptic binding
I hope you guys find these blog posts and these questions and answers helpful. And if after reading through all this you still have a little something on your mind, I'm hosting All Day Instagram Office Hours tomorrow (from around noon gmt+2 on Oct 6th) and will be answering your questions in the comments of a post dedicated to them. Check out my Instagram tomorrow and I'll do my best to help you out or just chat with you guys!
I live in Finland, so my local sources aren't probaby worth mentioning, but the things I can't easily find locally (=most things) I try to order from within EU to avoid extra taxes. Modulor.de is a great source for a variety of materials like papers, boards and book cloth. My fabrics and threads are mostly from the local stores here, so no secret tips about those, sorry! I've ordered linen online in the past, but I prefer to touch before I buy because glueing reluctant materials is a pain...
I buy my linen thread unwaxed and wax it myself as I personally find the ready-waxed is too stiff and heavily waxed. I use different thicknesses of thread for different purposes - I recommend experimenting to see what works for you!
The paper is actually custom printed, so maybe ask a local printer, or try to print it yourself if you've got a good printer.
I use many different types of papers for end papers, but Canson Mi-Teintes is perhaps the one I use most.
Whether or not I back the linen fabric I use depends on many things (how open the weave, how floppy the fabric is, how likely it is that the boards warp if I don't back the fabric), but if I back it I use 50/50 paste and pva that I brush on Japanese tissue, and then I gently smooth over the fabric. There are plenty of tutorials on youtube and elsewhere online if you're interested to learn more!
I guess the neatness is something that comes with practice. I don't use a template for cutting the corners, I just eyeball and use scissors. I cut the corners in a 45 degree angle, leaving about 1,5x board thickness width of material at the corner. Then I first fold the head and tail turn-ins before squishing that tiny bit of extra material in and finally folding the fore edge turn-in.
One thing I find really helpful with heavier fabrics is slightly rounding the board corners by sanding before covering! Also, steer clear from synthetic fabrics (no good comes from them), and err on the side of leaving too much fabric rather than too little! You can always snip out the excess once you see how it lays down.
I use a variety of paper sizes - usually I find the bigger the better! Large sheets are often also more affordable in the long run. While I sometimes trim the edges of a book block with my vertical plough, I tend to cut my sheets by first folding a tight crease using a teflon bonefolder and then tearing that folded crease using a bookbinder's knife. It's a straight knife that isn't super sharp. The edge finish depends a lot on the paper you use, not just the equipment. Experiment with the tools and papers you have at hand and see what gives you the best results!
It actually sounds your folds may be even too sharp if you get that extra crease line. Try a little less pressure on the folds next time! Sometimes that little crease next to the tear is almost unavoidable if you're using thick paper, but a slightly lighter fold might do the trick to fix it.
When I started exploring bookbinding, mostly teaching myself, I struggled with keeping things square, too. At first I solved it by making sure everything was crooked the same way while practicing getting things squarer and squarer with practice (not really how you're supposed to do it, but it worked for me!). Tearing signatures to size from a larger sheet of paper creates a beautiful edge to the book block and allows you to skip cutting the book block altogether if your guillotine isn't a good one. Cutting the boards by hand using a metal square ruler and a sharp knife is the solution that works for me, but it does take practice, and it's slow at first. And if you are having problems cutting two boards the same size, just cut one first and then use it as a template for cutting the other. If getting the angles straight is a problem, invest in a good metal straight angle ruler.
There's no equation - just measure the width of the spine of the book block and that's it. If you're having problems measuring accurately, set aside the ruler and use a piece of paper instead. Wrap the paper around the book block spine and mark the edges of the spine on it using a pencil. Then transfer the marks to the spine card stock, and you should now have the accurate width measurement. Also, use a lighter weight material for the spine than you use on the covers! Check out my post about tips for more professional looking handmade books for more information.
I don't know about a perfect formula for calculating the gap between the spine strip and the cover boards. I was taught 7mm is a good gap for most purposes, but I think that's pretty wide. I prefer 5mm for books with fairly standard thickness covers and covering materials. If your boards are particularly thick, or if you're using very thick fabric to cover them, go for a wider gap. I tend to adjust the measurements just by eyeballing what looks visually pleasing, but as I use a 5mm wide brass strip to form the gap as I glue the covers, that's my go to measurement.
Also, cut your cover boards extra wide, connect the covers and the spine with paper before covering, and measure the right width for the covers on the book block and trim off the excess. Write down the measurements at each stage and use those measurements to figure out how much wider or narrower than the book block you need the boards. Every bookbinder seems to have their individual style, so it all varies a bit. By studying your numbers you'll find out your own magic equation for board width in no time, and you can cut them the right width from the start.
Casing in isn't something that can be easily explained, but let's try! Here's how I do my casing in: I place the book block exactly where it needs to be between the covers, lay it on the desk and open the top cover, stick in a waste paper and an acetate film (to keep moisture away from the pages), glue the endpaper without moving the book block, remove the waste paper, support the book block by placing the tips of my right hand fingers against the fore edge, and by using my left hand I raise the cover so the spine of the cover meets the spine of the book, and then I just sort of let the cover fall onto the glued endpaper while making sure the spine doesn't wander off again. Then I just press the cover down gently but firmly, flip the book around and repeat on the other side. Once the book has been cased in, I slide in some clean waste paper between the cover and the acetate to wick moisture, but one of the most important things is to resist the urge to open the cover right after casing in, so no peeking at this stage!
Re: getting the covers the right size. Mark down the measurements you use on the books you make while you're making them, and use those measurements to create a recipe that works every time: you could end up with something like joint: 5mm, boards: height of book block+5mm x width of book block. What measurements end up working for you depend on the materials you use and your personal touch, so you need to study your own books to figure it all out. You can begin by making sure your spine strip is the right width (too wide is both ugly and bad, never go too wide), cutting the cover boards extra wide and attaching them to the spine before you trim off the excess, and then comparing that trimmed width to the width of the book block to find out what width your finished "recipe" might be. Honing that recipe takes trial and error, but once you've done that work and your own technique becomes more stable so to speak, you'll no longer need to fiddle with the details.
Yes, only the edges are glued! The same goes for the fillers and possible extra layers that are only glued at the spine edge. Using as little glue on the covers as possible helps minimize warping, and having those little 'air pockets' between the layers actually adds stability. The covers remain lighter and more flexible than if you glued all the layers together. Re: fear of wrinkles - Here's how I do it: place the book flat on your work surface, open the cover, slide a waste paper and a plastic film (for moisture protection) under the paste down, glue the edges, remove waste paper, let the cover just flop down on its own, immediately press lightly using your hands, repeat on the other side before letting your book dry under weight. Wrinkling shouldn't be an issue if your glue isn't too runny and you work quick.
No, on case bound books I glue the endpapers as usual. The warping of the boards is most likely due to uneven pull on the boards - usually the pull of the endpaper is greater than the pull of the cover material resulting in covers that pull inwards, but it can also go the other way round and you end up with covers curving outwards. You can try balance things out by glueing a sheet of paper on the weaker side of the boards before covering. Different papers have different pulls - a handmade paper may have a huge pull compared to something more solid, but these things can vary a lot. Give plain copy paper a try, it may well do the trick. I try to keep a book in the press for at least 8 hours after casing in, but the warping may have little to do with the press time for above reasons. Finally, the wrinkle issue - I've seen it happen when you case in a book and take a peek how it went before putting the book in the press. Opening the wet book sort of stretches the fibres in the wet hinge area resulting in wrinkling as it dries. Could this be an issue in your case? If so, no peeking! Basically just let the cover close on the glued endpaper and hope for the best. There's nothing you can do to make things better at that stage anyway!
Most of the time I use linen fabric instead of bookcloth, so it's easy for me to just stitch between the threads in the fabric and not break any fibres while doing so, but you could try a teeny tiny bit of glue where the hole is to keep the cloth from fraying.
I finish the covers first and sew the book last. I think having the stitches be fully visible on the inside isn't an issue at all - I'd be more bothered by them being visible bumps on the paper that lines the inside covers.
The problem you have is pretty unavoidable. So, let's call it a feature instead of problem? Of course you can minimize the staggering by banging the fore-edge of the stacked signatures against the table before you put the lot into the guillotine. Or if you're working on something super special, sew the signatures together temporarily before cutting. That borders on neurotic behaviour, but I wouldn't put it past myself. Also, check out my blog post 7 tips for more professional looking handmade books - there's a tip about folding signatures that can also help you out!
I move from one signature to the next one inside the covers, but sewing one signature at a time is also a possibility.
More practice? Make sure the awl or needle you're using to make the holes is as vertical as possible, use a finer pencil to make a more accurate template. Other than that, since you're already using a template, I've run out of suggestions...
The easiest way to tell grain direction on book cloth is to check the selvedge (that's the edge of cloth that is not cut). Grain direction goes along the length of the book cloth roll, so, selvedge is always parallel with the grain. If you're working with smaller pieces of cloth where it's impossible to see which way the piece was originally rolled, you can sometimes simply see which way the grain goes on the paper backing.
First off, a little terminology: Deckled edges are the rough edges that you see on handmade paper, formed by the deckle used in the process. Torn edges have a similar look, but less gorgeous. I don't have any specific brand names to give you, since most of the time I have no idea what brand I'm using (bad bookbinder behaviour I admit, but I often buy just some random lot of suitable weight good quality drawing paper and never even get to find out the brand). The paper you've experimented with is pretty heavyweight, so I suggest you finesse your technique with lighter papers. If you're not neurotic about paper acidity recycled papers usually work extremely well and they're budget friendly. When you're tearing paper into signatures you usually can't avoid tearing into both grain directions to get the right size, so the paper has to tear well both ways. Fold the paper using a bone folder (but don't mash the fold into a complete mush) and use a knife that's not too sharp. Steady movements and no rushing until you get the technique right.
I use Planatol BB (bookbinding pva), but if your lace is synthetic glueing it with anything is a nightmare, so stick to natural fibres. I wrote a blog post about glueing lace that should provide more answers!
I actually don't do personalisation or titling on my books. I have a handheld type holder and brass type for titling fine bindings, but it's not something I use on other types of books. If you expect to do lots of personalisation, get the hot foil machine (don't know much about them, only used some ancient ones while studying). Hand tooling takes lots of practice and patience, and it's not very cost effective in general because of how slow it is (kerning the type just right etc.).
I wrote a long blog post especially for you - Tips and Rescources for Beginner Bookbinders. I hope it helps!
Pamphlet stitches, concertina books and Japanese stab bindings are quick ones to teach and learn. Single-needle Coptic binding and long stitch binding are a bit more demanding structures, but still great for beginners if you have a bit more time available. Glue is usually the most problematic element for beginners, so non-adhesive bindings are a good gateway to bookbinding!
That's a tricky one! There are so many different kinds of bookbinders out there - I recommend exploring Pinterest to find what type of work interests you. But to name a few interesting bookbinders from a variety of fields here's a short list: Keith Smith for lots of different techniques, Julie Chen for book art, Haein Song for super elegant fine binding, Philip Smith for insane fine binding, and Kate Bowles for gorgeous notebooks. I have too many favourites to list, so I opted to just pick a couple entirely different from one another...
If I'm making books in batches, then I also do each step in batches. Otherwise I'd lose the benefit of making books in batches to begin with. It's much more efficient to do all the necessary glueing at once - less brush washing, glue gone to waste and time spent on setting up.
This is what I got my degree in! I graduated as a master bookbinder in . Check out my About page to read more - I actually wrote a series of blog posts about my bookbinding studies and what drew me into bookbinding. But if you want the short story, here goes: I've always made things by hand, enjoyed art, enjoyed books, enjoyed writing, and as soon as I found out it was possible to get a degree in bookbinding I knew that's what I wanted to do. I've had other jobs at a library, a clothing store, etc. and I've studied English a bit, too, but bookbinding has always been my main focus and I've had my Etsy shop since . I'm very lucky to have other income that allows me say no to custom orders and only make things I want to make. It has made it possible for me to keep bookbinding fun. Of course it's still work, but I get to set my own boundaries and take liberties most bookbinders can't. The reality of being a full time bookbinder tends to be much more busy and customer oriented than my artist oriented approach is.
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